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United States Patent |
5,060,945
|
Irvine
|
October 29, 1991
|
Game with movable players
Abstract
A game, to be played by two operators, one at each end thereof, simulates a
game such as soccer, hockey, ice hockey or the like. A central playing
area has a flat surface (11) above which substantially nothing protrudes
apart from the players and a simulated ball or the like. The players can
be moved towards and away from the operator on members (24) and also can
be rotated, as required by means of gears 29 engaged with racks (30, 31)
or the like.
Inventors:
|
Irvine; John (624 East Coast Road, Browns Bay, Auckland, NZ)
|
Appl. No.:
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535759 |
Filed:
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June 11, 1990 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S. Class: |
273/108.51 |
Intern'l Class: |
A63F 007/06 |
Field of Search: |
273/85 R,85 A,85 B,85 E,85 F,94
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
593512 | Nov., 1897 | Cahalane | 273/94.
|
2229232 | Jan., 1941 | Widegren et al. | 273/85.
|
4076242 | Feb., 1978 | Joseph | 273/85.
|
4311309 | Jan., 1982 | Bradley et al. | 273/85.
|
Foreign Patent Documents |
0710673 | Jun., 1954 | GB.
| |
0800015 | Aug., 1958 | GB.
| |
1147711 | Apr., 1969 | GB.
| |
2006626 | May., 1979 | GB.
| |
2148723 | Jun., 1985 | GB.
| |
Primary Examiner: Grieb; William H.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: St. Onge Steward Johnston & Reens
Claims
I claim:
1. A game including a playing area, one or more players adapted to be
movable above the surface of the playing area by an operator, so as to
propel an object on the playing area, and operating means operable by the
operator to move the or each player, in which substantially no part of the
operating means protrudes above the surface of the playing area where
there is no player, in which the operating means includes a member on
which the player is mounted, the member being positioned entirely beneath
said surface of the playing area and constrained to slide in said one
direction of translation only, and in which the member is a bar extending
in the said one direction and adapted to receive and hold a plurality of
said players.
2. A game as in claim 1, in which the operating means is adapted optionally
to move the player in one direction of translation and to rotate the
player about an axis, substantially normal to said direction of
translation.
3. A game, as in claim 2, in which the rotation of the player is effected
by a toothed rack engaged with a toothed gear connected to rotate the
player, the rack being movable parallel to said member.
4. A game, as in claim 3 in which the or each player is mounted on a pin
affixedly insertable into a co-axial bore of said gear.
5. A game, as in claim 3, including two racks for each of said members, one
rack engaging with the gears of one or more players mounted on said member
nearer the operator and the other of said racks engaging with the gears of
one or more players mounted on said member further from the operator.
6. A game, as in claim 2, in which the or each player is rotatable by a
wheel engaged therewith, the or each wheel being in frictional engagement
with an optionally movable elongate body.
7. A game, as in claim 1, in which at least one limb of the player is
pivoted to the body thereof by a pivot having sufficient friction to
enable the limb to be moved and set at a variety of dispositions.
8. A game, as in claim 1, in which the member is provided with a plurality
of locations along the length thereof, at each of which locations the or
one of the players may be optionally located.
9. A game including a playing area, one or more players adapted to be
movable above the surface of the playing area by an operator, so as to
propel an object on the playing area, operating means operable by the
operator to move the or each player, in which substantially no part of the
operating means protrudes above the surface of the playing area where
there is no player, in which the operating means is adapted optionally to
move the player in one direction of linear translation, and to rotate the
player about an axis, substantially normal to said direction of linear
translation, the operating means including a member on which the player is
mounted, the member being positioned entirely beneath said surface of the
playing area and constrained to slide in said one direction of translation
only, and in which an upper surface of said member is shaped and located
to form a substantially continuous surface coplanar with the surface of
the playing area.
10. A game, as in claim 9, in which the rotation of the player is effected
by a toothed rack engaged with a toothed gear connected to rotate the
player, the rack being movable parallel to said member.
11. A game, as in claim 10, including two racks for each of said members,
one rack engaging with the gears of one or more players mounted on said
member nearer the operator and the other of said racks engaging with the
gears of one or more players mounted on said member further from the
operator.
12. A game, as in claim 11, in which the or each player is rotatable by a
wheel engaged therewith, the or each wheel being in frictional engagement
with an optionally movable elongate body.
13. A game, as in claim 12, in which the or each player is mounted on a pin
affixedly insertable into a co-axial bore of said gear.
14. A game, as in claim 9, in which at least one limb of the player is
pivoted to the body thereof by a pivot having sufficient friction to
enable the limb to be moved and set at a variety of dispositions.
15. A game, as in claim 9, in which the member is provided with a plurality
of locations along the length thereof, at each of which locations the or
one of the players may be optionally located.
16. A game, as in claim 9, in which the operating means at all working
positions thereof, is contained within the plan area of a board on which
the playing area is formed.
Description
This invention relates to a game and is applicable particularly, but not
exclusively to a game simulating a field game in which two opposing teams
of players propel an object, such as a ball around a playing field.
Typical of such full-size games are soccer, hockey, ice-hockey or the
like, but the game of the present invention is not limited to simulating
such above-mentioned field games.
Games which simulate a game of soccer are known, in which players
representing miniature versions of the two opposing teams are mounted on
parallel rods located above a playing surface representing a soccer field.
The rods are reciprocable along their length and rotatable about their
axes, alternate rods being operable from one end of the game and the
intermediate rods being operable from the opposite end of the game. Such
prior art games suffer from being unrealistic, since the operating
mechanism is above the surface of the simulated playing field. They are
also inflexible.
Hereinafter the term "operator" is used for the person who plays the game
according to the invention and the term "player" is used for the miniature
model of the person playing the game being simulated.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game
including a playing area, one or more players adapted to be movable above
the surface of the playing area by an operator, so as to propel an object
on the playing area, and operating means operable by the operator to move
the or each player, in which substantially no part of the operating means
protrudes above the surface of the playing area where there is no player.
Preferably the operating means is adapted optionally to move the player in
one direction of translation and to rotate the player about an axis, which
may be normal to said direction of translation.
For simulation of some games, the game according to the invention
conveniently includes said operating means for one player or one set of
players operable from one end of the game and operating means for another
player or another set of said players operable from an opposite end of the
game.
Advantageously, the operating means includes a member on which the player
is mounted, the member being positioned entirely beneath said surface of
the playing area and constrained to slide in said one direction of
translation only. The member may be a bar extending in the one direction
and adapted to receive and hold a plurality of said players.
Conveniently, the rotation of the player is effected by a toothed rack
engaged with a toothed gear connected to rotate the player, the rack being
movable parallel to said member. There may be two racks for each of said
members, one rack engaging with the gears of one or more players mounted
on said member nearer the operator and the other of said racks engaging
with the gears of one or more players mounted on said member further from
the operator.
Preferably the or each player is mounted on a pin affixedly insertable into
a co-axial bore of said gear.
One embodiment of the invention is described, by way of example only, with
reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a game according to the invention,
FIG. 2 is a part section along the line II--II in FIG. 1, at enlarged
scale,
FIG. 3 is a plan of two components used in the game shown in FIG. 1, and
FIGS. 4 and 5 show players used in the game, in diagrammatic form.
In the drawings, a game includes a board, indicated generally at 10, having
a central rectangular flat playing surface 11, preferably bounded by a
fence 12, which may be of mesh or other suitable materials. At either end
of the board 10 is a control area 13, 14, each of which has four equally
spaced control positions 15, 16. The positions 16 are staggered relative
to the position 15.
The control areas 13, 14 have covers 17, 18 of sheet material and at each
control positions 15, 16 the covers 17, 18 have three parallel slots 19
through each of which a control pin 20 protrudes upwardly.
As shown in FIG. 2, the board 10 comprises a base board 21 to which
parallel spacer bars 22 are affixed and on the upper surface of which
parallel slats 23 are fastened. The upper surfaces of the slats 23 are
co-planar and form the playing surface 11.
Between each adjacent pair of spacer bars 22, there is a bar 24, of
inverted T section. Each bar 24 is constrained to slide in the direction
of its length only, by the base board 12, the spacer bars 22, and inclined
surfaces 25 on the edges of the slats 23. The upper surfaces 26 of the
bars 24 are as narrow as practical and co-planar with the playing surface
11.
As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, each bar 24 has a plurality of spaced central
holes 27, through each of which a peg 28 (seen in FIGS. 4 and 5) can
freely pass.
At each hole 27 the bar 24 carries a toothed gear 29, the teeth of the gear
29 protruding beyond the sides of the upright limb of the bar 24. Spigots
on the gear 29 are rotatable in vertical bores in the bar 24. For
convenience of assembly, each bar 24 may be composed of three separate
elements stuck, screwed or otherwise affixed together.
Between the spacer bars 22 and on either side of the upright limb of the
bar 24, there is slidably located a short toothed rack 30 and a long
toothed rack 31, shown in FIG. 3.
The teeth on the racks 30, 31 engage the teeth on any of the gears 29 which
are alongside the rack 30 or 31, but not both racks simultaneously. The
control pins 20 at any one control positions 15, 16, are fastened
respectively into the rack 30, the bar 24 and the rack 31.
Instead of the gears 29 and racks 30, 31 being toothed, drive from one to
the other could be by friction, for which purpose each gear 29 could be
provided with an elastomeric tire.
Alternatively, pulleys and cord could be used instead of the gears 29 and
racks 30, 31 respectively, or even sprockets in place of the gears 29
engaged by fine chains in place of the racks 30, 31.
Although each peg 28 is a loose fit in the hole 27 in the bar 24, the peg
28 is a push fit into a co-axial bore 32 in each gear 29. Each peg 28 has
firmly affixed thereabove a player 33, 34 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. If
the game being simulated is soccer, each player 33 has one leg extended
away from the other leg, which "stands" on the peg 28. Thus, if a ball is
adjacent a player 33, it can be kicked by the player 33, either by the
operator sliding the bar 24 to which the particular player 33 is attached
by the peg 28, or by rotating the player 33 about the axis of the peg 28
by sliding whichever of the racks 30, 31 is engaged with the gear 29 of
the particular player 33. By skillful manipulation of the control pin 20,
a combined translatory and rotary movement of the player 33 can be
achieved. The players 33 can be distributed over the playing surface 33,
as two teams, by pushing the peg of each player 33 into a chosen one of
the bores 32. Spacing between adjacent bars 24 is chosen in relation to
the spread of the legs of adjacent players 33, so as to minimise "dead"
space on the playing surface 11, as shown in FIG. 4. The players 33 are
shown in diagrammatic form, since they can be modelled with any chosen
degree of realism and colouring to suit different teams and different
simulated games.
Where hockey, ice hockey or the like are being simulated, the players 33
carry a protruding stick, for use instead of their protruding leg. In such
games, goals can be mounted or stood on the playing surface 11. The ball
used may have some feature which reduces the tendency to excessive
rolling, such as one or more flats on the surface thereof.
FIG. 5 shows a player 34 adapted for throwing a ball, as in cricket or the
like. In this case, one hand has a cup formation 35, in which the ball can
be placed and projected by pushing the bar 24 forwards and then stopping
it abruptly. This movement is assisted by the provision of a flexible
joint of rubber or the like in the leg which is attached to the peg 28.
Clearly, the game can be adapted for simulating a variety of different
games. For this purpose, the playing surface 11 can be marked out with
easily removable marking, to simulate a soccer field, a hockey pitch, a
cricket pitch etc. The players 33, 34 can be formed and dressed
appropriately. Similarly, for some games, such as "crazy" golf, various
obstacles can be positioned on the playing surface 11, as required and the
player 33 provided with a golf club.
In order that the control pins 20 can reach the racks 30, 31, the inclined
surfaces 25 of the slats 23 may be cut back locally, as can be seen in
FIG. 1.
The players 33, 34 can be more realistic if their arms and/or their legs
are attached to the bodies thereof by frictional pivots, such as
ball-and-socket joints, whereby the arms or legs can be moved and set at a
variety of dispositions. Such an articulated construction facilitates
moulding of the bodies, arms or legs by enabling parting lines of moulding
dies therefor to be on or close to a single plane.
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